Is he a Don Quixote tilting at windmills or a visionary who has seen the future?

I'm speaking of state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso.

My analysis: Don Quixote, he isn't.

While the state's leadership has not faced up to the need for long-term, meaningful solutions to the public education crisis, Shapleigh has been traveling the state with a presentation that makes the case for a state income tax.

Early on, he made the presentation to the newspaper's Editorial Board. Last week, he was back, reporting that he has given it 47 times, from El Paso to Beaumont, in recent months.

He says that in every setting, once people have heard — and participated in — the presentation, they vote that a tax on income is the best solution to the state's education financing problems. That goes for conservative Republican groups as well.

What are the chances of an income tax coming out of the next legislative session? Even Shapleigh admits the answer is zero.

What he doesn't want to see is another stop-gap measure that leaders can use to convince people they have solved the problem.

The important factor is how the debate is framed, he explains.

If the issue is property tax relief, as the governor wants to frame it, then lots of answers — including video lotteries at horse tracks — may suffice.

If the focus is on educating children, that calls for a different answer.

Texas spends $613 less than the national average per pupil on education. It has the lowest graduation rate in the nation, Shapleigh points out, and if that continues, the state's economic future is dim.

To further define the issue, he relies on projections by state demographer Steve Murdock showing that unless the public school system is significantly upgraded, by 2030 household income will decline by $5,000, pulling $60 million out of the Texas economy.

"For the first time in our history, the next generation of Texans will be less prosperous than the generation before them," he notes.

Shapleigh said he expects San Antonio to come on board and lead the way on this issue.

One reason is that it has the largest private employment base in the state, with SBC, USAA and H-E-B. A business tax would make them uncompetitive nationally, he fears.

Shapleigh believes the so-called Delaware loophole that allows corporations to become limited liability partnerships and avoid paying franchise taxes should be closed. He also thinks all partnerships should be taxed, but that all franchise taxes should be at a low rate.

The senator sees the move toward a state income tax, which would include a significant reduction in property taxes, as a long-term education process.

The move will not come from the state's leadership. It will come from the grass roots as citizens become educated and either pressure current leaders for change or elect new ones.

This will require a vote by citizens of Texas, as provided for in an amendment put into the state constitution and pushed by the late Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. The constitution requires:

A vote by the people;

That two-thirds of income tax revenue be used to provide property tax relief, with the remainder dedicated to education;

That any increase in the rate also be approved by a majority of voters.

Frankly, it is refreshing to talk with someone who takes a long-term view and focuses on solving real problems.

Don't look for this to come to fruition in January. Like water rushing over stone, it will take time to polish.

But neither are these ideas tilting at windmills. They are about the future of our state and our children.